Rhine Lab
- Research institute
- Scientific consortium
- Kristen Wright (co-founder, formerly)
- Saria (co-founder)
| “ | A famous technology organization from Columbia, committed to expanding the practical applications of all kinds of cutting-edge technology. | ” |
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Rhine Lab LLC. (R.L.) is a Terran organization. They are a Columbian research institute and scientific consortium that is active in the fields of Originium, biology, and robotics, but have been marred with shady practices involving unethical, inhumane experiments. Nevertheless, they have a grand ambition to become Terra's pioneer in space expedition.
Background[edit]
Foundation[edit]
Rhine Lab was founded by Dr. Kristen Wright and Saria, two equally-minded graduates from the Trimounts Institute of Technology, in the year 1083 with the purpose of seeking scientific advancements and following the legacy of the former's parents in exploring space beyond Terra. R.L. came from humble beginnings with its first office being an old apartment near the founders' former college.[1] A year later, Muelsyse, a young Elf girl, joined the duo. Despite this, R.L. was struggling with management affairs. They heavily relied on investors and other third-parties' funds, and their projects were limited to high-energy physics and life research. That would change in 1085, when the trio decided to consult Jara Wilson, a former Wrankwood star who became one of Columbia's top investors. She provided enough investment to upgrade R.L. into a formal LLC. The same year, Ahrens Parvis and Ferdinand Clooney joined the company as well.[2][3]
R.L. eventually became one of Terra's biggest scientific organizations, famous throughout Terra for their Originium-related research and uses in robotics, medicine, and ecological studies. Through collaboration with the Maylander Association, it began attracting more researchers to join the company. In 1090, Rhine Lab's "Section System" was established; Kristen Wright became the Director of the Component Controls section and head of R.L. as a whole, while Saria took up the position as chief of the Defense section. On the other hand, Jara became director of the Human Resource Investigation Section. Two years later, the Scientific Investigation and Engineering Sections were established, with Andenate Maryam and Nasti Lunorey being appointed as their respective directors. At the same time, Justin Fitzroy Jr. became the head of the Business Section, and the construction of R.L.'s new headquarters officially wrapped up.[3]
However, R.L. eventually became involved in ethically questionable research, which they have simply deemed "unavoidable." The company accepts funding from the Columbian Department of Defense (DOD) as part of the nation's goal to achieve technological superiority over other Terran superpowers. For example, in order to decode the secrets of Originium, Joyce was chosen to have an Originium chip implanted inside her brain, but this came at the cost of her contracting severe Oripathy, along with other illnesses.[4] R.L. secretly invested in the infamous Loken Watertank Laboratory, inheriting much of its legacy after its downfall by accepting its remaining research data and subjects.[5] They continue to use the façade of appearing as an institution of academic freedom to attract researchers while disguising their true intentions.
Diαbolic Crisis[edit]
The "Diαbolic Crisis" of 1095 is a major experiment meltdown of all the incidents R.L encountered that later publicized their inhumane ethics. The incident originated from "Project Diαbolic" launched by Haydn Pharmaceutical, a classified experiment supervised by the DOD as an attempt to create humanoid weapons by resurrecting the extinct Diablo Sarkaz through implantation of their body fragments upon living creatures, one of which being a young Savran subject codenamed "Ifrit." During the project, R.L. served as an investment partner to both gain benefits and to use Haydn as a "bagman" to cover up their leadership.[6] The mishandling, however, resulted in the meltdown of Haydn's laboratory codenamed "Lab-1" due to "Ifrit's" sudden rampage that burnt down the building, and Haydn Ramt was killed by the subject during the incident.[7]
Despite the "Lab-1" meltdown, the project was secretly transferred to R.L. under the supervision of Prof. Parvis. R.L. re-initiated the project by disguised it as a rehabilitation therapy titled "Chimeric Treatment," a medical experiment intended to relieve the symptoms of Ifrit's Oripathy by injecting Originium shards onto her under controlled settings despite the side effects. R.L. eventually failed to suppress Ifrit's rage when they accidentally awoke Ifrit's Diαbolic ego, leading to a severe burndown. R.L. unleashed their defense forces to suppress her rampage which almost led to the subject's death under their hands.[8]
The "Diαbolic Crisis" left lasting repercussions. To begin with, R.L. concealed all details of the incident, publicly dismissing it as nothing more than an accident.[7] Their efforts successfully obscured the event from much of the staff and even the company's upper echelons, including Dorothy Franks, who joined the company and assumed her directorship a year after the incident.[3] Disgusted by R.L.'s ongoing unethical practices, Saria, one of the company's co-founders, resigned from her office, although her position was nominally retained by Kristen.
Dr. Olivia Silence, another major whistleblower, was kept under R.L.'s supervision, yet she managed to seek refuge in Rhodes Island as a representative of R.L.'s business partnership so that she could sever her ties with them and quietly transfer Ifrit under its care. Although both Silence and Saria stayed in R.I. as dissidents seeking protection, R.L. maintained close oversight, frequently dispatching representatives to ensure the two could not jeopardize their interests. The departure of Saria resulted in a dramatic surge in unethical experiments and scandals in the subsequent years. Without her moral restraint, R.L. became notorious for its dubious practices, cementing its reputation as a hub of conspiracy theories and public suspicion.[3]
Trimounts Arc[edit]
In 1097, Kristen disappeared from the public eye, coinciding with R.L.'s shift in focus toward its collaboration with the DOD, codenamed "Horizon Arc Project“, a superweapons program with the purpose of reinforcing Columbia's defense integrity in response to the Military Commission of Kazdel's "Shard".[9][10] During this period, rumors of Kristen's retirement from R.L., amongst other unconfirmed news and speculation, began to circulate as many Columbian media outlets reported that R.L. had declined multiple collaboration proposals from other companies. In response, Ferdinand issued an official statement claiming that he would temporarily lead the company on Kristen's behalf. However, behind the scenes, Ferdinand was secretly plotting to take control of R.L.[3][11]
In truth, Kristen had not left R.L., but instead was secretly visiting a massive Predecessor complex to seek "answers" from Trevor Friston, the "Preserver." The complex, dubbed as the "Hall of Stastis" by R.L.'s researchers, was discovered beneath Trimounts in 1096 by Nasti and the Scientific Expedition Section. Researchers initially found no correlation between its inscriptions and those of ancient Teekaz ruins. For a long time, Kristen had been gathering information about the now-gone Predecessors of Terra from Friston, particularly regarding the Starpod—the "fake sky" of Terra. Viewing Friston as a "god," Kristen aimed to harness the Sarcophagii's energy to power the Horizon Arc's Arc-01, aka "Galleria Stellaria" and achieve her dream of reaching the endless sea of stars.[12]
On November 21, 1099, the Horizon Arc Project was officially launched as part of R.L.'s collaboration with the DOD. However, in a shocking turn of events, R.L. itself hijacked the Arc-01 under Kristen's direction as part of her ultimate ambition. R.L. succeeded in penetrating the Starpod and created a unique phenomenon later referred to as the "Trimounts Arc" by future generations. Although R.L. ultimately lost Kristen in the process, the event marked Terra's first modern attempt to breach the Starpod and laid the groundwork for the current era's space exploration initiatives. The aftermath of the event, however, left R.L. in the eye of the storm; With Kristen lost in deep space and Parvis' death during his chimeric experiments, Saria would later take over R.L.'s administration.
On December 5th, 1099, Silence —Who was the first R.L. employee to publiclly adress the discrepancies and violatiosn within the scientific and technological community— published the Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration, a series of guidelines that could help set the standards within the community.[13]
| Transcription of the Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration[14] |
|---|
Hello, everyone. My name is Olivia Silence, sponsor of the "Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration." I stand here today, because i want to make a statement, or rather, point out some issues that have been ignored for the past few decades. |
Organization[edit]
Section System[edit]
R.L. has ten departments in total, referred to as Sections, each performing different tasks and led by the Board of Directors, also known as "The Top Ten Elites".[15][16] The core of R.L. is the Component Control Section (CMPT CTRL), which manages general affairs across all departments. Beneath the Control Section are five scientific research sections and four general affair sections. Each scientific research section has its own specific focus and approach, with directors holding the authority not only to influence the workflow but also to manage commercial commissions aligned with their respective research areas. Kristen rarely took part in the sections' small-scale projects. However, when a project impacts the entire company, or when there is a commission requiring collaboration across multiple sections, the board of directors can directly approach Kristen for her input. Only after she makes the final decision will the scientific research sections implement the formulated profit distribution plan between the company and the Component Control Section.[16] The general affairs sections, on the other hand, function similarly to the administrative departments of a general company (i.e., human resource management, business affairs).
Scientific Research[edit]
- Ecological Section (ECO): The department that investigates the biological evolution history of Terra and its interaction with Terra's environment.
- Energy Section (NRG): The department that conducts research on various forms of energy on Terra (i.e., Originium, sunlight, geothermal, and biothermal) and their practical applications in technology.
- Originium Arts Section (ORIG): The department that explores the basic principles of Originium Arts and its applications.
- Scientific Investigation Section (SCIEN): The department that consists of explorers who venture outside the borders of civilization on Terra (i.e., Sami Icefield) to investigate its mysteries and uncover relics of Terra's previous civilization. The S.I.S. is the leader of R.L.'s Pioneer Project. Despite initial criticism, Kristen managed to push forward the section's development and launched a series of initial field surveys.
- Structural Section (STRU): The department that investigates the basic particles (i.e., elements, atoms, and biological molecules) of living beings on Terra and how they are affected by their surroundings.
General affair[edit]
- Business Section (BSN): The department that handles public affairs and communications with other corporations.
- Defense Section (DEF): The department that deals with R&D and security issues, including laboratory emergencies. It also handles undisclosed and classified information. Prior to the Diαbolical Crisis, it was considered the most powerful section, with the authority to terminate projects and assess risks from a security perspective
- Engineering Section (ENG): The department that provides mechanical and robotic support for R.L.'s researchers.
- Human Resource Investigation Section (HRI): The department responsible for human resource management.
Along with its scientific endeavors, the Maylander Association also assisted R.L. in initiating the Rhine Lab Pioneer Project: a series of archeological expeditions aimed at uncovering ancient ruins, many of which were originally part of the civilization that once colonized Terra.
Personnel[edit]
| Character | Information | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Founding member and director of the Components Control Section. Currently under stasis in deep space; position succeeded by Saria. | Missing | |
| Founding member and former director of Defense Section. Unilaterally resigned in the aftermath of the Diαbolic Crisis, succeeded Kristen as the director of CMPT CTRL after the Trimounts Arc; previous position succeeded by an unnamed member of DEF. | Alive | |
| Director of Ecological Section, joined in 1084. One of the few active Elves in modern Terra. | Alive | |
| Former director of Human Resource Investigation Section, joined in 1085. Retired after the Trimounts Arc; position succeeded by an unnamed member of HRI. | Alive | |
| Director of Structural Section, joined in 1085. Died from complications while subjecting himself to a Chimera Treatment experiment; position succeeded by an unnamed member of the Columbian academic circle. | Deceased | |
| Director of Energy Section, joined in 1085; position temporarily suspended between the incident in Site 359 and Trimounts Arc. | Alive | |
| Andenate Maryam | Director of Scientific Investigation Section, joined in 1092. Went missing during an expedition to the Infy Icefield, but later revealed to have survived. | Alive |
| Director of Engineering Section, joined in 1092. Currently conceptualizing the Uraniborg, a floating city for the Sarkaz. | Alive | |
| Director of Business Section, joined in 1092. | Alive | |
| Director of Originium Arts Section, joined in 1096 as the youngest member. | Alive | |
| Ahrens Parvis' protege, unilaterally resigned in the aftermath of the Diαbolic Crisis. | Alive | |
| Silence after returning to R.L. during the events of Lone Trail, currently acts as Saria's secretary and the supervisor of Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration. | Alive | |
| A Savra test subject implanted with the shards of a Diablo by Haydn Pharmaceuticals. Taken by R.L. after an incident that destroyed Haydn's facilit, brought into Rhodes Island by Silence in the aftermath of the Diαbolic Crisis. | Alive | |
| Real name Joyce Moore, formerly a database maintenance staff. Voluntarily implanted with an Originium-based DNI as part of an experiment. | Alive | |
| Member of ENG, best known for creating Meeboos aka. Robotters. Currently partnered with Closure of R.I. Engineering Department. | Alive | |
| Member of SCIEN, best known for her explorations to the Infy Icefield as depicted in Expeditioner's Joklumarkar. | Alive | |
| Former member of NRG, transferred into R.I. following the incident in Site 359. Younger twin sister of Astesia. | Alive |
Other personnel[edit]
- Dellareed☠: A R.L. researcher who studied the possibility of integrating Originium with computers and the organic mind through a direct neural interface, as well as Joyce's friend. She passed away at some point from unknown causes, leading to her project's team disbandment. Della's death led to Joyce voluntarily implanting an Originium-based DNI named "Device #9" into her brain to remember her and prove her theories.[17]
- Reg: A Liberi security guard of the Defense Section. He assists Saria on retreiving Ifrit from the Haydn-1 Lab ruins, and later evacuating the R.L. personnel during the "Diabolic Crisis." [6]
- Albert: A Caprinae researcher and collgue of Silence, who was responsible of taking care of Ifrit. He also helps Silence and Lamy to develop a neuro-anesthetic to try feigning Ifrit's death and sneak her out of R.L.[18]
- Lamy: A Liberi researcher from the Structural Section who helped taking care of Ifrit.
- Leon: A Phidian researcher of the Structural Section with an arrogant demeanor.[19]
- Jane: A Phidian researcher of the Structural Section. hailing from a town where Oripathy had became a serious problem. Ironiclly, she also criticizes how some of her coworkers and patients are Infected .[19][20]
Enemies[edit]
| Normal |     |
|---|---|
| Elite |        |
| Boss |  |
Interactions[edit]
| Operator | Subject | Interaction |
|---|---|---|
 | Expenditure Economization |
Rhine Lab Operators (including Muelsyse herself) have their DP cost reduced by 2, with the one first deployed having their DP cost further reduced by 1 (2 at Potential 5). |
 | Refreshment |
When Saria's GUA-X Operator Module is upgraded to Stage 3, R.L. Operators (including Saria herself) restore 3 SP from Refreshment. |
 | Plumes of Plenty |
The talent's effect is doubled for R.L. Operators (including the Paradigmatic herself). |
Gallery[edit]
Facilities[edit]
The hall of the R.L. headquarters
A corridor in an R.L. research building
Ditto
One of R.L.'s many labs
An R.L. meeting room
The Control Office, Kristen Wright's workspace
An R.L. observation post
Personnel[edit]
A male Liberi R.L. staff
A female Liberi R.L. staff
A R.L. security personnel from the Defense Section
A wearer of a powered exoskeleton of R.L.'s latest, state-of-the-art R-series
Artwork[edit]
Ditto, for Arknights CN's 1st anniverary, featuring Ifrit, Magallan, and Muelsyse
Ditto, for Arknights CN's 2nd anniverary, featuring Saria and Silence
Ditto, for the launch countdown of Arknights Global in KR. Notice how Silence's drone has a different attack range.
Media[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- According to NoriZC, Rhine Lab's logo was originally meant to be resembling an owl with <> representing its beak, which was later removed for artistic reasons.
- All but three of Rhine Lab Operators (Dorothy, Mayer, and Ptilopsis) are illustrated by NoriZC. Excluding Dorothy and Ptilopsis, they are based on elements as can sometimes be seen on NoriZC's personal merchandises:
- Because of their close relationship, Rhine Lab Operators are given the nickname "Rhine Lab Family" by the Arknights community.
- Saria is viewed as a strict father due to her nature as well as being a Vouivre. There are some fan arts where she is instead a silly father who teaches Ifrit all the wrong things and/or unintentionally injures her, which results in Silence punishing Saria in various comical ways.
- Silence is viewed as a distant mother. Occasionally, the CN community view the relationship between Silence and Saria as divorced parents.
- Ifrit is the super naughty child in the "family" that often creates troubles.
- Ptilopsis, Mayer and Muelsyse are Ifrit's "aunts."
- Magallan is treated as Ifrit's niece. The EN community tends to view her as another aunt.
- Kristen is viewed as Saria's "ex" by some in the CN community.
- The date that Project Horizon Arc is launched, November 21, is when the first hot air balloon travel was launched by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes, a monumental beginning of aviation researches in Earth.[22]
- According to NoriZC, Rhine Lab was basically designed around Ifrit. Starting off as a character suffering from Oripathy, later expanding to the people that protected her, the people she protected, and the people she cares about; The background lore was conceived in basis of the institution that protected her being the main reason of her suffering, the medical care, technology, and power it should have, and the countries/camps it should belong to.[23]
